Keeping the Aca-Pieces Together
by linds.bo
Summary: Follow the Swanson clan on their journey through their new lives after tragedy. Witness the love, hate, tragedy, and ups and downs of daily life. Sequel to "Picking Up the Aca-Pieces".
1. A Home is Where the Heart Is

It had been one beautiful year since Rebeca Mitchell-Benson had become Rebeca Mitchell-Benson Swanson. Yes, she had kept all her last names. Today was the last night of summer and coincidentally her one-year anniversary. To Beca, it could not have even been possible that a year had passed. For it stilled felt like only seconds since she had met her wonderful husband and children. Yet, she smiled and took in every ounce of joy that her life now brought her. She was busy this evening. Brady was starting middle school tomorrow. Kara started her first day of fifth grade. Beca herself started teaching third grade tomorrow, jumping ahead two grades that she was used to teaching. And she could not lie, she was a little nervous. Plus, the fact that Jesse had not really gotten a new scoring job since before the wedding was weighing a little on their finances. Still, she would never let her spirits dampen.

A lot had changed in the year since the wedding. Chloe had her beautiful baby, who was eleven months old now, Lindsey Anne Matthews. The beautiful little girl had brightened the Matthews family even more. Benji and his wife Lena were proudly expecting a baby, and her little seven-month belly was bursting with life. Amy and her husband, Evan, had moved back to Australia for good with their eight year old daughter Paisley. A decision that had been so hard and the girls spent hours crying together over it. Aubrey and her husband were splitting up. Something that had seemed inevitable after she caught him with another woman. Beca had been her shoulder to cry on and a hand constantly refilling her wine glass.

A lot had changed for the family itself. Brady had broken an arm and recovered. His teeth were now plastered with braces. His descent into puberty shot him up like a skyrocket. Something he had obviously not gained from his father. Kara was turning into a little woman. Dirt under the fingernails had been traded in for polish. A special trip to the store bought her very first of many special undergarments. Jesse was graying a little more these days. His children obviously providing sources of stress in his life. Plus, his lack of job had not been easy on him. He spent the entire year getting fit again, something that looked great on him. And Beca herself had changed. She quit wearing the dark and scary makeup all together. She bought a tube of, dare she even say it aloud, **pink** lipstick. She chopped her long locks into a stylish bob that she now kept a deep auburn color. It was a change for the family all around, but a change that was good.

The sounds of pencils on the table reminded Beca that her children had successfully procrastinated in doing their summer assignments until now. She chuckled in her head and went about her business. Double-checking her own bag, she knew it was packed with all the essentials. Kara had been helping her set up her room for the past two weeks now and that had been a big relief. Brady was nervous to be starting middle school tomorrow, yet at the same time very excited. She packed his lunch in a brown paper bag, something he had wanted as opposed to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle lunchbox. Kara's still went into the purple one with the butterfly on the front. And Beca smiled at the small bit of youth her children still possessed. As she finished making lunched for the three of them, she started on a dinner for the four of them. It was the last night of summer, so Jesse and Beca had opted to stay in.

Beca was happy though. In the last year, something she had worked on was hr cooking skills. And since her children were no picky eaters, she made a romantic dinner for four. More like a super gourmet family dinner. She had even dissuaded her kids from eating lunch so that they would be hungrier when dinnertime finally arrived. Her menu was great. It started out with a soup, an onion soup with a cheese crostini atop it. Then, it went onto the appetizer course, where she served two different things. First, a rosemary shrimp skewer, which was one of Jesse's favorites. Alongside the shrimp came sausage and cream cheese stuffed mushrooms. Then, it was time for the salad. An intricate one that Beca loved, she called it the heartthrob salad. A concoction of a salsa like mix with kalamata olives, lettuce, and cheese. And the dressing she made was to die for. They had beef filets with cognac-onion sauce, fresh pan seared scallops over linguine with a tomato-cream sauce. For sides they had roasted garlic asparagus and mashed potatoes with marsala. She had even made a fresh garlic bread. After all this food, she was sure they would be stuffed. Yet, she made a special dessert for the kids. Their favorite. Chocolate chunk break puddings and sugar coated pecans. The meal was to die for.

The kids continued to work and Beca prepped the meal she had been planning for a week. She set out the beautiful tablecloth she had received for her wedding. Next, four placemats went atop this to preserve the cloth. She had gotten the same bouquet of fresh cut flowers from her wedding and had them in the center of the table. She lit the candles around the room and put out some incense. Smiling at her work, she went to finish her dinner.

At around six-thirty, Jesse rolled into the driveway. He had been out all day, first at the gym, then job hunting, then helping Benji move into his new house. When he walked in, he was greeted with the smell of his wonderful wife's cooking. He had been so blessed to find her for himself and his children. She appeared in the doorway and smiled.

"Hi lovey. Can you go shower and get into something nice?" She winked. There she stood, as gorgeous as ever. Her newly chopped hair (which he loved) was straightened and perfect. She wore a deep neck halter dress. It was a coral color, and it went perfectly with her summer-tanned skin. She wore a necklace he had bought her before the wedding, and diamond earrings that cascaded down her ears. She had on nude colored pumps and looking stunning.

He nodded, "Of course I can." He went up to her and kissed her. Then whispered into her ear, "I cannot wait to get you out of those later." He nibbled at her ear and neck causing her to shiver.

"Uh huh! Not until after dinner." She winked, he smacked her butt as she walked by and she smiled at him.

Jesse returned down twenty minutes later, dressed in a pair of khaki slacks, a mint green button up shirt a tie and his sports coat. He had on the watch Beca had given him this morning (along with another thing ;) for their first anniversary. He put on his boat shoes and made his way into the dining room, the smell making his stomach growl. When he entered he smiled at his two children sitting at their seats, obviously waiting for his arrival to start devouring the soup in front of them. His own son was dressed similarly to him; his hair gelled up in the typical kid style. His daughter had pulled her curly hair back with some clips and wore an adorable pink dress; a white shall veering her shoulders. She had even put on some of Beca's new lipstick, he noticed, and he chuckled.

Beca appeared from the kitchen, carrying what must have been the appetizers, and she smiled, "Okay, dig in!"

The family spent the next hour and a half at dinner. Savoring every bite of Beca's delicious cooking. They talked about all the wonderful things of the past year and all the great things to come. They discussed school the next day and laughed at the kids' jokes. It was a perfect evening. In the middle of the meal, Jesse would catch himself staring at Beca. Something he had done everyday since they had been married. And even before they had married. He never could quite believe that she was his and he was hers. They are each other's. A fact that every single day amazed him, just like she did. She caught him once and leaned over to kiss him, causing an eruption of "ew's" and "gross's" from the children. But they did not care, they were in love and happy about it.

After dinner, Jesse cleaned everything up with the help of Brady. Beca went to help Kara pick a first day of school outfit (something only two women could enjoy so much). He then took watched a little bit of the basketball game with Brady before it was time for showers and bed. He tucked each of his kids in, a ritual that they had formed before the first day of school. He kissed each of them on the heads and then stopped Beca as they walked towards their room.

"Okay. It's my surprise time now." He handed her a blindfold. "Put this on."

She giggled and did as she was told, "Okay. Where are you taking me?"

He led her into their room and gently helped her on the bed. She was smiling the entire time. Leave it to her husband to do something so corny and romantic. She could here soft music playing and smelled candles. He slowly took her blindfold off and Beca gasped.

All around her were rose petals. Of every color and size. The room smelled of her favorite candle scent, lavender coconut. She could hear the bath running and smelled the bubble bath he had bought at the store a few weeks ago (something she had found odd then). There was some soft jazz music playing and Beca smiled at her husband. He had put on the special sheets they had bought when they wed. There was a bottle of her favorite wine in a bucket near the bed and two glasses, the two glasses from their wedding. She leaned up and kissed him. Then, she noticed three envelopes on the bed.

"Open this one first." He handed it to her.

She giggled and carefully opened the envelope, which had a lavender sprig under the flap. She began to read:

_To My Beautiful Bride, _

_It has been one whole year since I married you. One whole glorious and wonderfully beautiful year. Every day with you is filled with an abundance of joy and happiness. My love for you deepens every day, every moment, every time I look at you. Life since I met you has been perfection. The cherry atop the sundae, the icing on the cake. You get more beautiful every time I see you. And I hope I never ever have to wake up without you by my side. For you, I would do anything. Your wish is my command. Sometimes when I look at you, I think of how lucky I am. And I often wonder how I did get so lucky. The way you love our children and me has me more mesmerized every single time I look at you. You really are absolute perfection. Even your imperfections make you perfect. Enjoy this evening with me, before you go back to your busy work schedule tomorrow. Start with a relaxing bath (hopefully I can join you) and remember that I love you to bits and pieces. Happy One Year Anniversary to my beautiful Beca. I love you. Please never forget that. _

_All My Love, _

_Your Groom, Jesse_

Beca looked up with tears in her eyes at the man she loved, "Baby… this is beautiful Thank you love." She kissed him passionately, "Please, come join me."

He took her hand and led her to the bathroom. He kissed her tenderly and let his hands find the zipper on her dress. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt and then slipped it off along with his sports coat. She delicately took her earrings and necklace off, putting them in her jewelry box by the sink. He slipped her dress down her body and she stepped out. She tugged on his jeans and they fell to the floor, stepping out of his own pants. He slowly unclasped her bra. Her breasts spilled out into the pale light of the candlelit bathroom and her bra fell to the ground. She slid her hands on the elastic of his boxers and slid them down, and he did the same with her underwear. She stepped into the warm water of their bathtub and he followed her. They kissed and made love and kissed again. They washed each other, savoring every moment with the one they loved. They got out and he slipped her robe over her shoulders. She then slipped his over his and they returned to the bed. He helped rub lotion all of her legs and she kissed his chest sending shivers down his spine. They finally laid back on the bed and he handed her the second envelope.

"Okay. Read this one next."

She smiled and opened the envelope, another spring of lavender falling into her lap:

_To My Beca, _

_At first, I wanted to write a reason I loved you for every day since we have been wed. Yet, I figured that, although I could list 365 reasons I love you so, reading them before bed might be a bit tiring. So here, I will list twelve reasons I love you. One for each gloriously rewarding day: _

_You are so beautiful. Even in the little things you do. The way you crinkle your nose, or snort when you laugh to hard. The way you brush Kara's hair or cheer at Brady's games. You are the image of total perfection. _

_You are the most caring and kindest person I have ever met. You come with a gentle touch and a kind heart. The way you mother our children. You are the sweetest little human I have ever met. _

_Never have I ever been so impressed by anyone's intelligence. The way you cook. The way you smile and laugh. You're the smartest person I have ever met. I love that you can always put me in my place. _

_I love the way you keep me guessing. Your emotions, your favorite restaurants, the movies you want to see. You never make life easy for me and I love the way you challenge me. It makes me excited. _

_I love the way you make me excited. From the moments when we make love to the second you come in the door in the afternoon. Every time I even glance at you, my heart swells. _

_I love how much you love me. Your tender kisses. Your sweet hugs. The way you smile whenever I talk to you. The way when we argue, you never let it go long enough to ruin our dreams. _

_I love how open you are to everything. The way you embrace our friends' craziness. The way you encourage our children to try new things. The way you order the craziest menu item they have. It makes me smile. _

_I love the way that your body connects with mine. I love how we have discovered that we fit together like a glove. I love how you fold right into me and I do into you. It makes me feel safe to have you so close. _

_I love how ticklish you are. Whenever you're upset, I always know what to do to make you happy. Your little giggle whenever I tickle your neck makes me smile and I know it makes you too. _

_I love the fact that I know you'll never give up on me. I love how you know I will never give up on you. I love how no matter what, we have one another and can share in the everyday pleasures and struggles of life. _

_I love how we can complete each others thoughts and sentences. I love how a glance in your direction and we know what the other is thinking. I love the perfect way we connect every day. _

_Lastly, I love the way that I can thank God everyday that you have been blessed into my life. I love you and really everything about you. Yet these are some of my favorites. I love that our relationship has blossomed into something so spiritual and rich. I thank you for loving me. And know I will love you always. _

_Your Blissfully Happy Husband, _

_Jesse_

The tears were heavily flowing by the end of that. She reached and threw her hands around his neck throwing him into a passionate kiss. They mad love again. And she gave herself over to him completely. Her orgasm rang through her body and reminded her of the sheer happiness he brought her. He collapsed on the side of her and kissed her temple. He pulled one more envelope from his bedside tables. She took it and kissed him lightly.

"Will I be able to handle this one?" She smiled through happy tears.

He nodded, "It's the gift part, my love."

_My Love, _

_This letter is much simpler. For I just have some joyous news to share. I received the best news last week. Some of my music has been picked up for the next Spielberg flick. The pay is incredible and our lives should be able to return to some normalcy. But first, I have to give you the gift I have been wanting since I met you. Turn this paper over to reveal something special. _

She flipped the handwritten card over and revealed an image of a house. She looked up at him her eyes wide. Slowly, she read the words on the back.

_Welcome Home My Love. This is all for you. Eight spacious bedrooms. So one day we can fill them with our children. Six spacious baths so you never have to wait for me to get out of the bathroom again. A kitchen fit for a palace and a dining room fit for feasts. A finished basement (with a bar :) ) and two living rooms. An office space and am upstairs den. Best of all a swimming pool in the back and a tire swing near the edge of the lot. I hope that this is everything you could have ever imagined. I love you to bits. _

_1682 Magnolia Crescent_

_Rolling Hills Estates, Los Angeles, California_

She began to cry and kissed him all over, "You are so absolutely perfect. I love you so much. I cannot believe I get to spend the rest of my life with you. You are so incredibly amazing. I cannot believe I got this lucky. You are so lovely. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

He kissed her, "I love you too darling."

"Happy one year, my king. I love you." She kissed him.

"Happy one year, my queen. I love you more."

They made love one final time before falling asleep entangled in one another's arms. A night seemingly perfect for them. Because all they needed was each other and their family to survive.


	2. No We Are!

There were a lot of things that Jesse Swanson did not like. For instance, he hated when the Lakers lost. He hated rainy days. He hated long lines. He hated telemarketers. Now, he could add moving houses to the list of things that he hated. He grumbled as her threw towels into boxes. This had been easily one of the tops ten worst days of his life. Beca had told him to make sure everything was folded neatly, but at this point he was just throwing everything into boxes. The kids and Beca were in school, and this sucked. So, he would make it as miserable as possible.

He heard the crunch of tires on the gravel driveway and looked out his bedroom window. Glancing at the time, he realized it was later than he originally thought. Beca and the kids jumped up of the car and he heard the side door open and close and the sound of feet on the kitchen floor. Jesse faintly heard Beca tell this kids to start their homework and then he heard the faint sound of her footsteps on the stairs. Hurriedly, he covered the box so she could not see the mess he had made of everything and finished closing the box as the door opened.

"Hi." She smiled. She kicked her black pumps off and shook off the cardigan she was wearing to cover her shoulders and be appropriate for work.

He smiled and walked over to her, planting a gentle kiss on her lips, "How was work?"

"Ugh, it was work. Today was particularly unruly. The principal called an assembly for the magazine drive and after that I just could not get them to listen to me." She collapsed on the bed, "How was the progress here?"

"Good." He nodded. It was one week until their official move in day. They had put their house up and instantly received offers. The closing was tomorrow. Their little three-bedroom, four if you counted Jesse's office, home was going to a sweet little family. Brad and Lindsay Oakley. They had two perfect little munchkins who were two and four, and a little peach ready to make its entrance into the world in a few days. Jesse had taken personal care to make sure that the house went to a deserving family. One that would live in here like the Swanson's had.

"Did it really go good? Or did you get frustrated and throw shit all over the place again?" Beca chuckled.

Jesse shook his head, "How the hell are you so patient? I wanted to kill someone today."

She laughed out loud now, "Oh great. Everything must be a mess in all of those boxes. Well you better get to fixing them mister. Or else you're folding them all back up at the new house."

Jesse groaned, "Can we go to dinner first?"

"You want to go out?" She raised an eyebrow. Jesse was never one for spending money for no reason.

He nodded, "I need a friggin break. I need to not see this house for a couple of hours."

Beca smiled and kissed his cheek, "Let me change. Tell the kids to get ready."

* * *

><p>Beca stood in the middle of her new kitchen. She watched as Jesse, Benji, Josh, Tyler, and Donald moved furniture and boxes. The girls sat around helping arrange the furniture that was deposited into the room. The kids sat in an empty upstairs bedroom with Lena, who was too pregnant and too fragile to help, coloring. As Beca arranged couches and lamps and tables, she smiled as she saw her house coming together. It was gorgeous.<p>

The outside was a smooth tan color. The shingled roof reminded her of one of those old colonial homes you would see back in her home state of Georgia. It had columns that came down from the front porch. A four-car garage swooped out of the side. The circular driveway and walkway were made of beautiful brown, red, and orange brickwork. The gigantic glass front door had a screen door so she could open it and let the breeze come in. The entry way showed a grand staircase, cascading up on both sides. Her kitchen was finished with stainless steel and granite. Her dining room and den had oak hard wood floors. The bedrooms all were big enough for king size beds and it was a home fit for royalty. Beca worked hard getting everything in place. It was almost one in the morning when they finally felt they had finished enough for the day. They said goodbye to their tired friends, thanking them profusely. As they tucked their tired children in, they collapsed onto their bed.

"Thanks." Beca turned to face Jesse.

Jesse raised an eyebrow, "For what?"

"For being you." She kissed his cheek. Jesse smiled at her and Beca suddenly sat up. "Come with me."

She held her hand out and Jesse groaned, "Becs, I'm so tired."

"Please?" She pouted.

He stood up and Beca lead him down the hall to the stairs. Their bedroom was on the first floor, along with two guest rooms. The other five were upstairs. Beca walked him up the stairs and he shook his head, having no idea what it was exactly that she was trying to accomplish. They walked down the hall. Passing the office, the upstairs den, and the bedroom they were using as a playroom. The final room on the hall they stopped at.

"Okay. Ready?" She grinned.

He shook his head. "Ready for what?"

She pouted, "Just say you're ready. It's a surprise."

Jesse laughed, "I am so ready."

She opened the door and Jesse looked around. It was a rather blank room. They did not possess all the furniture to complete these rooms yet. Jesse saw a small square paper taped to the wall. Beca nudged him to go grab it.

He removed it from the wall and stared down at the black and white image and read what was written on it.

_Hi Daddy! Do you like my new room?_

Jesse looked from the ultrasound photo to Beca and broke into a beaming smile. "You're having a baby!"

"No." Beca shook her head. Jesse looked at the picture and then at her again, confused, "_**We're**_ having a baby!"


	3. Three Times the Charm

Beca glanced at her watch and rested her hands on top of her growing belly. Four months along already and she felt like a cow. She knew it had been a long time since she had been pregnant (ten years actually) but she never remembered being this big at four months. She sighed and flipped through the books that lay on the table next to her. Her doctor's office was always a bright place. Expecting woman generally seemed happy, and she actually liked going in there. Only every once in awhile would she see a sad thing go down in there. It was similar to the elementary school she worked at.

"Rebeca Swanson?" The receptionist called, "Dr. Milton can see you now! Room four!"

Beca stood up slowly. A young couple next to her smiled. The woman spoke, "Wow! You must be due any day now!"

Beca laughed, "Oh gosh no! I'm only about eighteen weeks!"

The mans eyes widened, "You're so big! And you're all belly."

Beca laughed, "I know! It is crazy!" She made her way towards the exam room laughing at the couple's comments. When she entered the room she laid back in the chair and doctor walked in a few seconds later.

"Hi Becs!" She smiled. Dr. Katelyn Miller, or Kate as Beca called her, had been a close friend since she had moved to LA. They had worked on a radio show together many years ago and Beca had formed an instant friendship with the quirky brunette.

"Hey Kate! Let's check on this Buddha belly." Beca rubbed her stomach.

Kate looked at her as she lifted her flowy shirt, "Holy shit Bec. You're huge." She widened her eyes, "Eighteen weeks." She added glancing at her charts. "I'm gonna guess that you're measuring close to thirty. Jesus, we gotta check this out."

Beca laid back and Kate began her examination. She then rolled in the ultrasound machine and rubbed the jelly over Beca's stomach. She flipped the machine on and began to look around. Beca smiled as she watched, "I am so excited."

Kate turned to her and smiled, "Well get ready to be even more excited. There are three in there."

Beca's mouth dropped, "Three?"

"Oh yeah." Kate smiled, "Three beauties in there. One, two, and three." Kate pointed them out on the screen. She then let Beca listen to their individual heartbeats.

"Oh my God. Kate, what does this even mean?" Beca's eyes swelled with tears. Something she could not decide whether it was good or bad.

"Beca… sweetie, it's gonna be great. You and Jesse will be wonderful parents! You already are. It's just three at a time instead of one." Kate hugged her friend, "You're gonna do great. Now go call that wonderful husband of yours!"

Beca paced the length of the living room. It had been almost four hours since her appointment. Her belly had felt full. And not just because of the three little babies swimming around in there. The kids were out for the night and Beca needed to figure out how she was going to tell Jesse about this. It was not like she could just blurt it out. She paced and paced, hoping her plan would be enough to make Jesse love the idea of three babies at once. She held her breath as she heard his car roll into the driveway from work. It was time.

He walked in and Beca was sitting at the kitchen table. He hung his keys onto the rack and smiled at her. "Well hello! Miss me?"

"Of course I did! Could you check the oven? Dinners in there." She smiled.

He sniffed, "Oh wow. It didn't even smell like anything was cooking."

She smiled again as he walked towards the over, "Really look at what I made. It's a new recipe?"

He shook his head and chuckled, "Okay babe." Jesse opened the oven and peered in. After about fifteen seconds he turned to here, "Babe. There's only three buns in here with pea pods inside them."

"Count the peas." She laughed.

He took another second, "Three buns, and three peas in a pea pod. Am I missing something?"

Beca stood up and unzipped the sweatshirt she had been wearing to reveal a shirt she had made that day, a shirt with a peapod and three little baby heads sticking out over the edge. Jesse raised his eyebrows, Beca smiled, "Three buns in the over. And three peas in a pod Jess. We're having triplets."

"Like three babies?" His mouth formed an 'O'.

"Yes Jess. Three beautiful little babies." Beca had tears in her eyes.

He took a step towards her, "Don't cry beautiful. This is the greatest thing to ever happen to us Becs." And with that, he kissed her. It was slow and passionate. All the love they had for each other built up into one kiss. She kissed back and he pulled away and placed his hands atop her belly. "Hi babies. I hope you're ready to join a crazy family."

Beca giggled and gasped, "Oh! I got you a shirt too." She pulled a bag out and handed it to him. He kissed her again when he pulled out the shirt that had 'Real men make triplets' on the front.

Beca felt and knew she was huge. At twenty-four weeks, she felt like she could have been forty-eight weeks pregnant. She was walking around the store with her and Jesse's mother. The back pain had been unbearable the past few weeks. She had even been contemplating pulling out of work for the year. And it was barely Christmas yet. The goal was to get her to another eight weeks. But with Christmas break two weeks away, which would be the last she saw of school until most likely the next year. She followed her mother in law and own mother around the store as they through things in a shopping cart. They had begged her to let them help her shop for Christmas and the babies, convinced she could not possibly do it herself.

"Beca! What about this? Why won't you find out the genders?" Her mother, Caroline, begged Beca.

Jesse's mom, Laurie, nodded, "Beca. It really would be so much simpler. Look at how cute it all is."

Beca shook her head and took a deep breath, "I told you. Jesse and I want it to be a surprise. We want to experience this without any knowledge. It is way more fun that way."

Her mom pulled on a blanket, with pink balloons on the front, "Then I am about to buy this for Kara."

Beca laughed and shook her head. They had been at the mall for almost five hours. And it was another five before they left. Between Christmas shopping for the kids and preparing for the babies, she had to admit that the mother's had been a great help. Even Sheila, her dad's wife, had been sending things from Georgia since she found out about the babies. It was tough having three new babies. Since neither of them had brought an infant home in ten years, most of the stuff was either thrown out, or outdated. It was like starting completely over, times three. With what appeared to be another eight to ten weeks to go, Beca was getting beyond excited. Jesse had been busy preparing the nursery. Kara and Brady had been helping wash and fold baby clothes and set up furniture. And the baby name game had been something they played every single night.

By the time she arrived home from the mall that night, construction of the baby swings they had bought a few weeks ago was underway. Brody and Jesse had it under control, while Kara was placing the cushions over the seats. Beca plopped onto the couch as the mother's brought all the purchases in from the mall. It was easy now that neither of her children believed anymore when it came to Christmas, yet she was looking forward to next year, when she and the kids would get to convince her almost one year olds about Santa. As they hid presents out of Brady and Kara's site, she hugged her mom and mother-in-law.

"Sweetheart. I cannot believe how big you have gotten." Her mom placed her hands on her daughters stomach, "These three little beauts are going to steal my heart soon."

"Who would have thought with only one daughter you would get five grandchildren?" Beca laughed, "Well, actually, eight."

Laurie hugged her, "You have and had a beautiful family Miss. Beca. Those three angels are still your babies too."

Beca felt tears coming on. Ever since she had found out about the pregnancy, she thought about her own little angels a lot. She had truly believed that the triplets were their working. Thinking that maybe, somehow, her little babies believed that their mommy would be okay if she had three munchkins just like them again. Of course, no one could ever replace the sweet little children they had been. She missed them so much. Sometimes, she imagined what it would be like waking up to them again. Something she had not done in a long time before she got pregnant. Yet she missed their touch, and had craved them a lot lately. She was happy though, and she truly believed that the three little miracles in her tummy were given to her from her three little angels.

Christmas day arrived. Beca was twenty-six weeks now. She had officially finished her school year that past Friday. Kara had been slightly disappointed that her mom would not be there for the end of her fifth grade year, but had quickly gotten over it when she remembered that she would be a big sister for the first time by the end of it all. As Beca roamed around the kitchen this morning, waiting for her kids to wake up, she smiled out the window. It had been exceptionally cold the last few days. They thought there might even be some snow this evening. Beca actually loved snow. She dreamed of one day moving somewhere where there was a real winter.

She heard footsteps on the stairs and smiled as her kids came into the kitchen. There was no tiredness in their eyes, only excitement. They plopped themselves at the kitchen counter and Beca turned to them. They knew better than to go to the tree without Beca and Jesse. Yet she could see the desperation and excitement of wanting to open the gifts. Santa Claus was a thing of the past in this house, for now anyways. Beca figured with their new editions, it would not be long before the spirit of Santa returned. Jesse finally turned the corner into the kitchen carrying a dozen donuts and some coffee.

"Daddy! Can we eat after presents?" Kara asked.

Jesse chuckled, "Sure. Let me just give mom her coffee. We can go to the living room."

The four of them made their way to the living room, Beca waddling a little slower. She was basically a whale now. The kids began to tear through their presents. Clothes, games, everything they had wanted. Beca handed Jesse his gift and he smiled. It was a new surround sound system. Not for the living room, but for his office for when he worked on music. He gave her a diamond necklace; with five diamonds in a tear drop form. He told her when they had the triplets they would add three more. But for now it represented her five babies. She had almost cried right there at how perfect her was. The kids gave her and Jesse a coupon book that could be redeemed for special things. It was adorable. They cleaned the gifts up and brought them up to rooms. Then, they began to prepare for the gathering that would take place in a few hours.

Beca had cooked a feast for at least thirty people. Her parents would be there. Both her mom Caroline and step dad Jim, along with her dad Tom and step dad Sheila, were coming. Jesse's parents, Laurie and Brian would be there. His sister Kate and her husband John would be there with their three little kids, Patrick, Natalie, and Kyleigh. She was pregnant again and Beca and her were due around the same time (of course, Beca would probably pop first). Then Chloe and Josh would be here with Keegan, Maya, and Lindsey. Aubrey would be here with Kai and Eva. Benji and Lena would be here with Mailee, Ginny, and there newest little edition Viviana. And finally Donald and his wife Kasey would be there with their two children Graham and Brynna. It would be so much fun.

She had made a ham and a turkey. She made mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. She made stuffing and corn and green beans. She made pies and cookies and brownies and cakes. She set a table with the nicest plates she had and used festive Christmas décor. She laid out the best napkins and her house smelled and looked delicious.

By one in the afternoon, all of her family and friends were there. Her house was filled with cheery music and laughter. She sat on the couch while Jesse set everything up to serve. He wanted to make sure that his wife was always comfortable. Especially because he knew that she was in a lot of pain and discomfort with this pregnancy. After dinner, they all sat in the living room. Drinks in hand and laughter spewing from the voices. Children played together and talked about their gifts.

Chloe plopped herself on the side of her friend and Aubrey sat across from them, "How are you feeling Miss. Beca?"

"I'm okay. Very tired but okay." Beca smiled. "They're kicking up a storm today. There's been a lot of commotion for them."

Aubrey smiled, "Do you know what you're having?"

Beca groaned, "Why is everyone so fixated on that? I told you guys I didn't want to find out!"

Jesses sister sat down to join the conversation, "I say we take bets. Three boys."

"No way! There is definitely at least one girl. I say one girl two boys." Chloe smiled.

Aubrey shook her head, "Two girls one boy."

Beca laughed, "Well we'll just have to wait and find out."

Jesse sat down next to his wife, interrupting the conversation, "What are you lovely ladies discussing?"

"They're harassing me about the gender." Beca sighed, "Tell them to go away." She joked.

Jesse kissed her temples, "Unfortunately, I do not think I hold very much power in this category."

Beca smiled at her husband. He smiled back at her. It had been a lovely day. She could barely wait for the next few weeks to pass so they would get their three little lovely children to join their family. He was also so excited. Starting a new family with Beca would be amazing. It was something they had dreamed about. It was the perfect Christmas gift either of them could ever give to the other. So today, as they sipped eggnog and sang Christmas carols, they loved each other more than anything. Beca loved him and those two little perfect children of his with her entire heart. Of course, she missed her own family, yet her new little family helped her cope with that longing. Jesse loved the fact that he got to love Beca and help her. Christmas was his favorite time of year for them. It was a constant reminded of the little miracles they had all been to each other. So as they finished cleaning up that night and then put themselves to bed, he said an extra 'I love you' to the three most important people in his life. Along with the three people who had not entered the world yet. Because in just a few short weeks, Jesse and Beca would get to be the family they had always dreamed of being. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.


	4. One, Two, & Three

Beca sat in her bed. She was staring at the enormous belly she had and felt the movements of her three little angels inside of her. It had been almost five weeks since Christmas. The triplets and Beca had officially made it to the goal mark of thirty-one weeks. Of course, this meant that Beca barely moved at all anymore because of how large her stomach is. Yet, she was so incredibly happy. Kara had taken on the role of mommy in the house. She made sure everything was always in its place and helped Beca do absolutely everything. Brady had been helping Jesse set up the nursery for the past week. While Kara and Beca folded clothes and made cute decorations. The hot topic of the week was the names. Everyone was wondering. Yet Beca and Jesse refused to tell anyone, even their own children.

It was almost ten am. Jesse had, had to go into work that morning, yet had promised to be home by noon. The kids were back in school and her mother was working also. So, she spent the day alone. Slowly, she pulled herself out of the bed. Aubrey had promised she would stop by today. She had taken a few days off of work since today officially marked her as a divorced mother of two. Beca figured she should get dressed and eat something, that way when Aubrey got here she would be able to talk. Dressing was a struggle. Finally, she secured a dress around her huge frame and pulled her hair back into a messy bun. Makeup was a thing of the past for right now. Her feet were so swollen she could not stand in front of the mirror long enough to do it. She made her way downstairs and at a bowl of cereal and an apple, then plopped herself in front of the couch. About an hour later, Aubrey knocked on the door and let herself in.

"Hi sweetie." Aubrey said as she sat down, her eyes visibly red and puffy.

Beca reached out to hug her friend, "Hi love. How are you feeling?"

"Gosh. I'm so… torn. On the one side, I feel really bad about Michael and the kids having a broken home. On the other hand… I met someone." Aubrey smiled.

"Oh my gosh! Aubs! Who?" Beca beamed at her friend. After the last year Aubrey had, she deserved someone to be around that made her happy.

"His name is Cody. It's Michael's brother…" Aubrey frowned, "I cannot do that to my children. I've already fucked their lives up enough."

Beca put a hand on her friends shoulder, "Aubrey. You have to listen to me. As someone who went through ultimate heartbreak… follow your heart. Everything else will always fall into place if you follow your heart sweetie."

"How can you be so sure?" Aubrey had tears welled up in her eyes.

Beca rested her hands on her stomach, "I was a stone cold bitch. I met the man of my dreams. I married him and had three gorgeous little babies with him. The world viciously tore them from my hands all at the same time. I met a man who was the father of my student. We fell in love. I found out his wife killed my family. He proposed to me in the most romantic way I have ever heard of. We got married and his two beauties became mine. Now I am having three beautiful little babies with the man I love. Anything, and I mean anything, you believe in can become your reality Aubs."

* * *

><p>Jesse and Beca sat on the couch. Kara and Brady were playing a board game on the floor. Beca had successfully hit the thirty-three week mark. Her doctors were confident now that the babies would be healthy if they were born now. So, she was scheduled to be induced on Monday if she did not pop naturally over the weekend. However, her contractions had been a steady six minutes apart for the past hour. Something she was waiting to tell Jesse. Over the next hour, they were reduced down to four minutes and she figured it was a good time to speak to Jesse. She leaned into him and whispered.<p>

"It's time sweetie." Beca smiled.

Jesse looked at her eyes wide, "What?"

She grinned, "Get my bag and call our parents and Chloe. It's time."

Kara and Brady looked up. Kara jumped up, "You're gonna have the babies?"

"But it's Friday the thirteenth!" Brady gasped.

Beca smiled, "Well I guess that means good luck for us."

The next hour passed in a blur. Beca, Jesse, and the kids made their way to the hospital. They signed in and got a room. Beca was hooked up to all the necessary machines. Chloe had arrived and then her mom and Jesse's parents. She was beyond excited, and she could tell Jesse was too. They knew that the other was wondering what it would be like to have a baby with someone new. First, it had been ten years since they had done this. And last time, it had been with someone else. Nonetheless, the excitement in the air took everything over. Beca had asked the hospital to allow her kids to stay in the room, and surprisingly they had agreed. So it would be her, Jesse, Kara and Brady in the room when the babies were born. Now, she sat patiently waiting for her doctor to come in. Her contractions were already down to two and a half minutes apart.

When Kate walked in she beamed at Beca, "Who's ready to have some babies today?"

"Me!" Kara laughed.

Beca chuckled, "Me, that's for sure!"

Kate went and did the usual procedures. She checked Beca's dilation and measured heart rates and all the usual stuff. Right as she was finished, Beca's water broke. Kate even jumped out of surprise, "Well it looks like we're a go to have these babies vaginally!"

Jesse smiled at Beca, "I am so excited. I love you." He kissed her forehead.

"I am too. I love you too." She smiled. The pain was excruciating, yet something about getting to meet her three new little ones in just a few hours was more incredible than anything else.

About an hour later, Kate returned. She said everything was ready to go and it was time to start pushing. Kara and Brady sat off to the side, chatting excitedly but staying out of the way. Beca wondered what it would be like to have a baby with Jesse. It was totally different than with Jason. Jesse was much more worrisome. Something she tried to take as loving. He was always making sure she was okay and sometimes it was smothering. But she knew it was just his excitement getting the best of him. It did feel funny being in a delivery room without Jason, but it was still exhilarating to be welcoming new little babies into the world. Jesse also thought about how funny it was to be in this position with someone other than Sarah. As he looked at his children, a wave of guilt rolled over him, yet was quickly replaced by his excitement. He knew this is what she would have wanted for him. Beca was different to be in the delivery room with. Sarah had always been loud and vocal. Beca was quiet and focused. She really did not want his help like Sarah always had. So, he found himself annoying her a little bit. Yet he knew they were both to excited to actually be upset.

* * *

><p>Kate set Beca up to begin pushing. Both Beca and Jesse knew this was about to be a very tiring hour. Three babies were going to be tough work. One was already tricky enough, and Beca had been exhausted after the twins. As Kate prepared, Beca began to push. Jesse let her squeeze his hand as she calmly gave birth to their first baby. Kara and Brady watched in awe. Baby Swanson #1 came into the world at 12:34 am on February 14th 2028. With the little one screaming it's little lungs off, Beca began the push for Swanson #2. After a long twenty minutes, at 1:03 am on February 14th 2028, Baby Swanson #2 came into the world screaming. Beca was exhausted but ready to get the final little beauty into the world. She began to push again and at 1:21 am on February 14th 2028, Baby Swanson #3 made it's appearance. After the doctors cleaned Beca up and swaddled the three little bundles of joy, they moved them to a new room. At three in the morning, Kara, Brady, and Jesse climbed into the bed with Beca and the new babies and fell asleep.<p> 


	5. Names & Titles

Chloe walked into Beca's room the next morning and smiled at the sight she saw. Beca sat in the bed and Jesse sat on the edge. Kara and Brady sat at the end of the bed, each with a new little sibling in their arms, the third in Beca's. She aww'ed the family and then moved towards them.

"Hi Auntie Chloe!" Beca grinned, waving the little ones hand at her, "Meet the newest members of the Swanson brood."

"Okay…" Chloe asked, "Names and genders please since no one will talk."

Beca shook her head, "Everyone has to get here first."

"BECA!" Chloe groaned, "You don't even have their little colored hats on so I can't tell! I hate this!"

* * *

><p>Over the next hour, they waited for the rest of their friends and family to arrive, while they sat in the bed in the same positions. Only the four of them knew the names and genders of the babies right now. By ten in the morning, everyone was there. Caroline and Jim, Tom and Sheila, Laurie and Brian. Kate and John, with Patrick, Natalie, and Kyleigh. Chloe and Josh, with Keegan, Maya, and Lindsey. Benji &amp; Lena with Mailee, Ginny, and Cora. Aubrey with Kai and Eva. And Donald and Kasey with Graham and Brynna. Beca and Jesse sat on the bed and smiled at the group of people that meant the most to them.<p>

"Hi everyone!" Jesse grinned, "Ready to meet the newest Swanson's?"

Beca handed him a baby as everyone smiled, "This is Mr. Elliot Brody Swanson."

A chorus of cooing erupted. It was a boy! Baby #1 was a boy. And Brody… what a lovely namesake that was. Beca had tears in her eyes when Jesse had suggested it. Now, they introduced baby number two to their friends. Beca took the little bundle wrapped in Kara's arms and smiled at her friends and family.

Jesse looked at them, "Baby Swanson number two, is Mr. Austin Jack Swanson."

Another wave of love rang out from their friends. Two boys. And the namesake kept going. Beca's mom was crying now. Finally, Brady handed the last baby to Jesse. Beca announced with pride.

"And last but certainly not least, baby Swanson three is little Miss. Tatum Kira." Beca smiled.

"Elliot, Austin, and Tatum Swanson. Elliot was born first, weighing six pounds twelve ounces, fifteen inches long. Then little Austin was born, at seven pounds two ounces and fourteen inches long. And finally little Miss. Tatum made her arrival at five pounds fifteen ounces and fourteen and a half inches long." Jesse smiled.

Their family was whole. It was loved. It was perfect. They spent the day cooing over their children, all five of them. And Brady and Kara could not have been more excited. They helped feed and change diapers and swaddle. Kara held them all at least a million times that day. Brady took an especial liking to his little brother Austin, who he had already begun to call AJ. It was an awesome day. And it was an even more awesome life that they would get to live now.

* * *

><p>Beca was sitting in her house, flipping through a magazine. It was the quietest activity she could find. Since literally all three babies had been up and screaming since four in the morning, she did not need to wake them up. They were four months old today. It was amazing how fast time had flown by. The cold weather had left, and the two older kids would be finishing school today. Kara's fifth grade graduation was that night and Beca could not have been any prouder of that little girl. Brady's birthday was also that weekend. Now he would be twelve. No longer a little boy, almost a teenager. Beca had been weepy all week over it. The door opened and Jesse walked in, quiet as ever.<p>

Jesse and Beca had been doing well with the triplets. Honestly, days like today, knock on wood, had been scarce. It was also so fun getting to watch their little personalities develop. Eli, as they had begun calling him, was the serious one of the brood. It was almost like he was the natural born leader. Beca could tell that he would be the one always making the decisions. His full head of curly hair was also something Beca loved. Along with his deep brown chocolate eyes, Eli was the baby she believed looked the most like her. Austin, or AJ as he was now called around here, was the goofball. He was always knocking his head into things or flopping on his belly just to get a laugh out of everyone. And he was always giggling himself. A day did not go by where AJ was not the center of the silliness. He had lighter hair than his brother, with more wave than curl. But he had the same chocolate brown eyes, something that Beca loved. He looked like a good mix between her and Jesse. Yet Beca saw a lot of Brady in him. Something that made her believe that little Austin must look a lot more like Jesse. Then there was Tatum. Kara loved calling her Tatie! And to be honest, Beca thought it was adorable. Jesse hated it though. But little Tatum was a bucket of smiles. She was hardly ever fussy. Tatum always had a smile on her face, even in her sleep. She looked a lot like Kara. The only exception being that Tatum had the same dark brown eyes as her brothers while Kara's eyes were piercingly blue. Now, she was watching her babies get ready to crawl and she thought about how fast this was going.

"Jess… please doesn't be loud!" Beca whisper-yelled. At that exact moment is when she heard the piercing cry of Eli. She had gotten so good at telling their cries apart. Beca groaned, "You deal with it."

Jesse sighed and then chuckled at his wife. But he obligingly went to retrieve his son. The triplets had been the best things to happen to them in a long time. He loved each of them so much. He had never imagined being a father to more than his two, but he loved it. As he pulled a crying Eli out of his playpen, he rocked him gently. Jesse could stare at his children all day. From Brady, who was getting to be so ridiculously big that it scared Jesse. To Kara, who would always be his little girl, but was becoming more of a little woman every single day. And then there were his three little ones. Who, by the day, changed and grew so much. Jesse was so content with his life. It was amazing.

As the baby was reduced to whimpers, Jesse returned to the living room, where Beca was folding clothes. "Hello mommy!"

Beca smiled, "Oh Eli. Why are you being such a fussy boy today?" Beca cooed.

That was another thing that Beca and Jesse had not realized while pregnant. Even though they had parented Kara and Brady together, a baby was entirely knew. Jesse was struck by the way Beca talked to the children. She cooed and purred and giggled and sounded like a child, yet it mystified Jesse that it was his own snarky Beca that did this. And Beca had been surprised by how helpful Jesse was. He took his turn at night and changed more dirty diapers than Beca could even begin to count. Parenting fit them well.

Kara and Brady walked into the door about twenty minutes later. Kara was chatting excitedly about the night's festivities. Beca had thought it would be hard to maintain her relationship with Kara and Brady after the babies. Yet, truthfully, it had become even easier. They finally had a physical being that glued them together.

As soon as they walked in the door, Beca left Brady and Jesse to help Kara get ready. It was amazing how adult-like Kara had become. Beca remembered the days of Kara being in her kindergarten classroom and smiled fondly at the memories.

"What are you smiling about mom?" Kara wrinkled her nose as Beca curled a piece of her hair.

Beca smiled at her again, "You. I was just remembering you as a kindergartener. And how adorable I thought you were. And how much you have changed since then."

Kara laughed, "I know. I can actually talk in full coherent sentences now."

Beca giggled, "I miss those days. I wish I could put you back to being five forever." Beca dropped the piece of hair she was curling and picked up another as Kara smiled at Beca from the mirror.

"Nah! You would not want a five year old forever." They laughed together.

Six o'clock came very quickly in the Swanson household. With all three babies dressed, Brady in a good outfit, and Jesse and Beca looking put together, they loaded up their SUV and took off for the elementary school. Beca had decided that she would take the remainder of the year off, so aside from dropping Kara off and a few visits to her students, Beca had barely been here in the past four months. Now as she walked in, her colleagues flooded her to see the babies, and of course, congratulate Kara.

They found seats and sat quickly. The air was filled with excitement. Beca had her camera ready and was waiting to here her boss Vivienne begin the ceremony. Kara stood proudly off to the side amidst her friends. She wore a blue polka dot dress with a pair of silver sparkly shoes. Her hair was curled with a bow and she had on the lightest lip-gloss ever. Beca knew she was going to cry. Benji and Lena sat with them. Ginny, their oldest, was on stage too. Donald and Kasey sat behind them, their daughter, Brynna, was also graduating. Aubrey was their for support and grandparents filed in as necessary.

"Good evening everyone!" Vivienne Benson, the school principal, began after the graduates walked up to the stage. Beca had taken a million pictures already. "Thank you all for coming to see our fifth grade graduation this evening. Before we begin the graduation procession. We would like to hear a speech from the girl voted student of the year by her classmates, Miss Kara Swanson!"

Beca looked at Jesse surprised. She received a look just as surprised back. Brady snickered. Beca whispered to him, "You knew about this?"

"Yeah. Just wait."

"Hello everyone! My name is Kara Swanson. My classmates and teachers voted me as Student of the Year for West Hill Elementary School's fifth grade class of 2028. I would like to start my speech with my story. For those of you who know me, you may already know this. When I was three… my real mommy passed away in a car accident. It was a really sad time for my family. My daddy was very upset. I really did not know if everything was going to work out. But when I started Kindergarten at West Hill Elementary school my whole life changed. That is when I met Mrs. Mitchell Benson, or Mrs. M-B. I loved her. Then, my daddy met her. And after some tough times, they fell in love. When I was in fourth grade they got married and me and my brother Brady got to have a new mommy. And what a really awesome mommy she is. She works here. Some of you may even know her. Except she just goes by Mrs. Swanson now. But don't forget, she still has all three of her last names. And now, her and my daddy has three new babies in the house. In addition to my brother Brady and me, there's Elliot, Austin, and Tatum. And my family has become great again. Why my classmates voted me student of the year is because even through all the tough times my family has faced, I never stopped smiling. And I really appreciate them for giving me this honor. But besides me being student of the year… there's another reason, a more important reason, why they asked me to make a speech. Her peers voted my mommy, Rebeca Mitchell Benson Swanson, as teacher of the year for West Hill Elementary School. The way she has worked through all of her struggles and become an amazing teacher has earned her the title. Mommy… if you could come up here and get your biggest honor yet. Besides being me and Brade and Eli and AJ and Tatie's momma of course."

Beca looked over at Jesse, who had traded his surprised look for a loving smile. She had tears in her eyes, "Did you know about this?"

Jesse kissed her cheek, "Do you think an eleven and ten year old could have wrote that well?"

Beca walked onto the stage where Chloe and a mirage of other teachers stood holding flowers and a certificate and a big bag full of gifts. Chloe hugged her first. "Congratulations my sweets love! I am so proud of you!"

Beca kissed Kara's head, "You really surprised me babe."

"I'm glad. You're the best teacher turned mommy ever."


End file.
